Brackfist.
The most important meal of the day.
Yeah, you heard me. Brackfist.
At least that's what my mom and I say. But you might know it as "breakfast."
I have to literally think of eggs to say it correctly.
Br-EGG-fast.
It works for me most of the time, but my poor mom still struggles to say it right.
:)
I'm sure you've heard it before...Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I've always known it. And I've never had a problem eating breakfast. From the minute I wake up, I'm "starved." So I've never had to be convinced to eat the most important meal of the day. In fact, I've never been able to skip breakfast and make it until lunch before eating. People that do that {ahem, Jonathan--my hubby} amaze me.
If I skip breakfast I get hungry, cranky, and shaky. You pretty much don't want to be around me until I've eaten. So I've always eaten something in the mornings within an hour of waking up.
Until recently.
When I became a full-time stay-at-home mom a few months ago I noticed one drastic change in my life. I was skipping breakfast more often than not. Weird, right? Staying at home should make it easier to eat a meal each morning, but I find it more difficult. By the time I make Brody something to eat and get him situated for the morning, many times I find myself less than enthused about preparing something for myself...even if by "preparing" I mean pouring a bowl of cereal.
But lately, skipping breakfast has taken it's toll on me. That's why I decided my first "Wholesome Choice" would be to get back to eating a healthy breakfast regularly.
To give me a little kick in the tail pipe, I decided I would check out the Mayo Clinic's suggestions for a healthy breakfast. They had a pretty good list of options that I thought I'd share with you...
- Cooked oatmeal topped with almonds or dried cranberries
- A whole-wheat pita stuffed with hard-boiled eggs
- Leftover vegetable pizza
- A tortilla filled with vegetables, salsa and low-fat shredded cheese
- A smoothie blended from exotic fruits, some low-fat yogurt and a spoonful of wheat germ
- Whole-wheat crackers with low-fat cheese or peanut butter
- A microwaved potato topped with broccoli and grated Parmesan cheese
- A whole-wheat sandwich with lean meat and low-fat cheese and as much lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and sweet peppers as you like
- Multigrain pancakes with fruit and yogurt
- A whole-grain waffle with peanut butter
- Egg omelet with vegetables (use more egg whites than yolk)
If you're more of a cereal monster like Brody and his Uncle Chad, here are some things the Mayo Clinic wants you to consider...
- Fiber. Choose cereals with at least 3 grams (g) of fiber per serving, but if possible, aim for 5 grams per serving or more.
- Sugar. Having sugar doesn't automatically make a cereal unhealthy. But the healthiest choices have 5 or less grams of sugar per serving. Check the Nutrition Facts label. This lists total grams of sugar per serving, which includes both naturally occurring sugar and added sugar. Some cereals contain dried fruit, which has natural sugar and adds to the total amount of sugar. But these cereals may still be healthy choices if eaten in moderation. Avoid cereals that list sugar at or near the top of the ingredient list, or that list multiple types of added sugar, such as high fructose corn syrup, honey, brown sugar and dextrose.
- Calories. If you're counting calories, choose cereals lower in calories, ideally less than 120 calories per serving. Some cereals have more calories per serving but can still be healthy choices.
- Remember to top off your bowl of cereal with some sliced fruit and low-fat or skim milk. Or if you're on the go, take along a piece of fruit, a container of milk or some yogurt.
And if cereal bars are your on-the-go breakfast of choice, consider this...
Cereal bars also may be a good breakfast option. Just be sure to look for those that meet the same guidelines as dry cereal. Also, don't forget some fruit and low-fat milk or yogurt to round things out. Even fruit or yogurt cereal bars won't satisfy all your nutrition requirements for breakfast.
If you're really on the go and you need to stop somewhere on the way to your destination, McDonald's offers a variety of whole-grain meal choices on its breakfast menu, available all day. The Fruit and Maple Oatmeal and the Apple Cinnamon Walnut Oatmeal are both 100% natural whole grain oats, rich in fiber and freshly prepared for you. {Or, you can always grab Brody's favorite Micky-D's breakfast item...a yogurt granola parfait.} McDonald's is committed to giving us more delicious choices to feel good about in the months and years to come. Regardless of your dietary needs, you'll find nutrient-minded choices at McDonald's.
Thankfully, the fast food industry is beginning to come around and give us healthier options to fit our on-the-go lifestyles. Keep in mind, however, that your healthiest choice is always to eat at home rather than grabbing food to go. But at least we have some good back-up options available now when our pantry is lacking or it's just faster to go to a drive-thru. Kudos to McDonald's for working on giving us healthier options.
You can follow McDonald’s Atlanta on Twitter @McDonaldsATL and check out their website for real-time promos, meal ideas and how to make the most of your McDonald’s experience:
http://www.
http://www.
Disclosure:
McDonald’s partnered with bloggers such as me to participate in its “Wholesome Choices” Blogger Program. As part of that program, I received compensation. They did not tell me what to purchase or what to say about the products used, and believe that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. McDonald’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.
***The wording in blue print contained in this post was directly taken from the Mayo Clinic's website {found here}. Check out the link to get more detailed information about the benefits of eating a healthy breakfast and more good ideas to make it easier for your family.
